this is my first time participating thanks to the encouragement of friends in our local mixed media collaborative group who took part last year … I sent postcards made from a favorite piece of my artwork above …I included a quote from the Dalai Lama XIV “Only the development of compassion and understanding for others can bring us the tranquility and happiness we all seek.” I also included my address because I think it is fun to know where mail comes from along with Brightest of Blessings and the address to my Magpie’s Nest…I am hoping to find out where my five cards landed…

it was fun watching the mailbox for the first card to appear and what to my surprise it was from one of my mixed media friends from the group I mentioned above (what are the odds that this card would randomly come to me all the way from Oregon when Fran lives so close to me here inVirginia) … Fran wrote on the back of her card “From Virginia, USA. Gelatos, Acrylics, gesso, stencils & Napkin collage. Always create!” …

the next card arrived from Dorothy Louis in Corvallis, Oregon and her card was rubber stamped in individual letters “PEACE BEAUTY TRUTH LOVE“…

Dona Hyll wrote “Once you choose hope, anything’s possible.” ~Christopher Reeve When not at my day job, I find I have a need to be creative? Here are examples of the tablet weaving I do for a Viking recreation group! We have our own festival the last weekend in April each year in Ashville, Ohio!”

Yellow Sun Lisa wrote on the back of her Flowers in Gouache card: “Dear Artist: If you have good thoughts they will shine out of your face like sunbeams and you will always look lovely.” -Roald Dahl

Kat van Rooyen’s postcard “Taken in the beautiful Appalachian Mountains of Virginia, USA” reads “Let your creativity shine like the sun over the Appalachian Mountains here in this photo. No one sees the world exactly as you do so express yourself! Enjoy! Kat ♥“

and last but not least is a card from the person we all have to thank for such a grand event “Imminent Downfall” by Kat Sloma and on the back it says: “When you Liberate your Art the world is a better place. Thank you! Kat”…

many many thanks to everyone that participated and to Kat Sloma who is amazing and generous and so well organized…

I hope there will be a swap next year but until then I am off to join in Kat’s Blog Hop…

one of my gypsy themed boxes went out to the each of the six participants in the round robin…

they had the choice to use any of the bits I included or not…

I received so many wonderful creations leaving me three boxes to finish myself…

the project was completed some time ago but I am just now getting around to sharing my finished box with you (my talented art friends brain stormed with me about how great the finished box would look with something at the top like half of a tambourine maybe…I have some extra bits I could attach to the front too which would help pull everything together better … still looking for my tambourine!) …

part of my delay was dismay that we didn’t take any photos of the other finished boxes and there were some spectacular ones with feet and finials and all kinds of fancy finishes…

here is a sampling of the boxes I created for others in our group minus a mermaid nature box I got excited about and forgot to photograph…

several of us were inspired to use some of our handmade fabrics from previous gelli monoprinting sessions we had together…

the only guidelines for the swap were to make our flags approximately 5 x 8 inches with a 3 inch or so sleeve for stringing (for my flags above I used monoprinted cotton, bits of lace, ribbons and trim, buttons, beads, charms, some funky old plastic flowers and bits of paper, needle, thread and even some glue)…

I hope you can feel the blessings and good wishes wafting their way out into the universe from our creations…

there are two very special prayer flag projects going on presently by Jane DeFazio here and Leighanna Light who has a Facebook group that will be sending prayer flags to the Sandy Hook Elementary School families early in January 2013…

*footnote to clarify that Jane DeFazio’s prayer flags are not meant to be mailed…rather anyone can make a prayer flag or flags full of intention and prayers and fly them at home…you can share photos and such by going to Jane’s link above…

Also the deadline for mailing your flags to Leighanna Light is before 3 January 2013 as that is when she will be putting the flags in the mail to Newtown, CT … hope I haven’t confused anyone…

guess I got excited…

if you are not on Facebook and need her mailing address just ask me and I will send it to you*

with no small children in the house and very little Christmas madness going on here I have been stitching into the wee hours to add my prayers to those of so many others…

here are the altered spoons that I really had a great time creating for the swap using spoons bent by Mr Magpie…feather wings…golden German Flimmers and some rhinestone bling along with several kinds of glitter and a favorite word of mine…

thanks to my art pal Fran Podlesney for sharing her die cut machine I just happened to have the perfect frills to use as tags on my tuille wrapped ornaments…

I admit I’ve gone a little glitter crazy this season…more on that in another post…

I had taken a photo of the back of my spoon before our get together and it shows a bit of the pretty silver pattern on the folded over handle…

the spoon was flattened and bent by Mr Magpie …

I added a favorite Graphics Fairy Bobolink bird image and several different kinds of glitter along with one of my handmade wire birds nests with some found golden trim for the hanger (the trim shown better in thefirst photo at the top of this post was something I found on the ground outside a craft store and knew our group of altered artists would appreciate that I rescued it and gave it a new life)…

wish you could hear the details of what all went into each creation from the artists themselves as there is so much more to tell…

we enjoyed some delicious food and friendship and have an exciting line up of things planned for the new year

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here is a sneak peek at a little something I made out of wool using some of the fabrics I dyed recently…

with BIG thanks to Fran and Leiann in our local altered arts group for bringing in their die cutting machines and some of their fab die collection to share with the group…

almost makes me think I NEED one of those machines but I am trying to resist temptation…

wish now that I had cut out more pieces…

when all of the ornaments reach the Queen Bees I can show you more…

before November leaves us…I also wanted to share this month’s quote from my “Angel Spirits” The Art of Sulamith Wulfing 2011 Calendar:

“The world and its peoples are blessed with infinite diversity, infinite manifestations of wisdom and spirit. Open to my teachings, expand your vision and your comprehension of the sacred. When you keep an open heart and mind, there is no limit to your understanding.” ~Angel of Understanding, November 2011

Love Quote

"the 'L' in Love should be capitalized" ~♥~Patty Szymkowicz .....
Virginia, USA

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I try to give credit where credit is due. Please do not use any images or text from my Magpie's Nest Blog without my permission.
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~*~ Patty

you can contact me at:
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